Mammogram call-back

[Catrin]

I went for my annual screening Friday morning, and I've a follow up screening Wed morning

I KNOW that chances are things are fine, and I've had cysts in that breast before. The fact that my mom just died of cancer in September doesn't help though, and her first (of 3) cancers was breast cancer. Trying very hard not to stress but am not having too much luck with that. At least I will get the results before leaving the office Wednesday morning, and my scan/ultrasound/whichever is at 7am.

I don't want to call my sister and tell her, for obvious reasons. She is also preparing to get married in 4 weeks, so, I came here instead

[ny biker]

I got called back last fall. It does happen fairly often and does not always mean the results are bad. I told a friend who said she had also been through it, years ago. In my case, they just didn't get a clear enough picture. (Part of me thinks they just wanted to scare me into paying extra for the 3D mammogram in the future, since I declined to do that for the initial exam.)

My approach to this kind of thing is to make a plan for what my next step would be in case of the worst-case scenario, and then hope for the best.

Good luck.

[OakLeaf]

Hang in there Catrin. Hope everything comes back clear.

+1 on planning out the next steps, although from personal experience I can tell you that it's very difficult to damp the emotions down enough to comprehend the medical journal articles at times like this. Do the best you can, it's all anyone can do.

I'll be thinking of you.

[Catrin]

Well, you KNOW my mind has already gone there...but at least it won't be too long until I find out if there is really anything to be concerned about. In the end, there isn't enough information yet, but that doesn't shut down the emotions. Thankfully I've a kick-butt group training session tomorrow, AND I meet with my new Kettlebell training coach at noon on Wed. so regardless of the news, there will be some stress relief. I am better at dealing with actual emergencies and crisis than I am thinking about all of the what-if stuff - but I suspect many of us are like that.

[Crankin]

I will be thinking of you Catrin.
For what it's worth, I've been called back twice, not including the experience with the needle biopsy when I was 34 years old!
No history at all in my family, so my mind was going wild, too.

[Catrin]

I will be thinking of you Catrin.
For what it's worth, I've been called back twice, not including the experience with the needle biopsy when I was 34 years old!
No history at all in my family, so my mind was going wild, too.

Yikes Crankin, I hope that was the end of your being called back! Since it is the same side, I am hopeful it is just the return of the cyst. I will know in about 36 hours.

[ny biker]

Hang in there Catrin. Hope everything comes back clear.

+1 on planning out the next steps, although from personal experience I can tell you that it's very difficult to damp the emotions down enough to comprehend the medical journal articles at times like this. Do the best you can, it's all anyone can do.

I'll be thinking of you.

I focus on just one next step, and keep it simple. Like "call cousin who is a nurse and ask her what I should do now" or "make appointment with Dr. GYN-who-I-trust-more-than-any-other-doctor to ask him what I should do next." Back when I lived 1000 miles from my family and had a lump removed from my shoulder blade, my planned next step was "buy a plane ticket and go home." More than anything, it's something to focus my thoughts on.

(When the biopsy on the shoulder blade lump came back negative, my actual next step turned out to be "buy donuts for everyone at work.")

[azfiddle]

Catrin,

I had the same experience last year. It turned out to be fine- not a problem, but I totally understand how nervous you might feel. Most likely it will be not be a problem - and there is nothing now you can do to change what it is so try to stay calm and take things just one step at a time. I'll be thinking of you and hope it's all fine.

SHaron

[Helene2013]

Same here 3 years ago. Was going in for mammo prior to breast reduction. Do normal mammo, get a call that I have to go back for a close-up mammo in one breast as there was a part that was too dense for them to see well. Did that, stressed but not too much (hubby was a nutcase though) as I am not the typ to stress until there is a real reason for it. Called me back to say still not good results and I have to go through an ultrasound this time. ouch. So went and the doctor was able to show me right away that it was just normal fluid pockets like we have and he even did the other breast to show me. Whew.... breath in/breath out! Now that I am at 50YO I got a letter for the government to get free-scanned. Just need to make appointment. I'm in no hurry. wonder why. hihi

So hang in there! Chances are it is just that...nothing to worry about. But don't we all stress as soon as a doc says he wants to see us back, or more testing needs to be done. Heuh.

[Crankin]

Catrin, my 3 experiences were many years apart. The first one, which resulted in the needle thing, stemmed when my ob-gyn felt a lump during my annual exam. Now, this was 1987, I had a 2 and 4.5 year old, and I was a wreck. It was a cyst that disappeared. The other 2, were just couldn't get a good reading.

[shootingstar]

Ask if you have fiborous boobs. Seriously.

[Catrin]

Ask if you have fibrous boobs. Seriously.

I will, never thought of that. I imagine something like that can cause a lot of initial false positives... I've also made a short list of a couple of things I will do if they don't think it is a cyst.

[snapdragen]

I had an ultrasound after my mammogram because I have "dense breast tissue". Pbbbt. My doc does have a very cool 3D ultrasound though. They found a small cyst (of course they did, because having stage 1 ovarian cancer isn't enough fun in itself. ..) so I go back in three months so they can look at it again. If things go like they usually do, the cyst will be gone. I've had numerous call backs over the years, I understand your stress and fear Catrin.

[emily_in_nc]

Catrin, just wanted to let you know I am thinking of and pulling for you. Chances are, it's nothing. Look at how many just in this group have been called back and had it be nothing...

Hang in there...I know the hours are dragging, but you'll know very soon.

[Pax]

Thinking of you Catrin, the waiting part is so un-fun.